Dying Star
by Hyou-kun
Summary: A battle that got out of hand. Renji and Ichigo are stuck in it. [slight RenjiIchigo]


Okay, this is the result of my boredom during English class. How did this story become sparked? Each person in the class had to memorize one of five soliloquies, from Julius Caesar (by William Shakespeare). We then had to recite the soliloquy to the entire class, not the funnest thing in the world.

I personally hate Shakespeare with just about every fiber of my remaining sanity, but hey, his works make for great fanfic inspirations. We can also have some fun with this, since Ichigo likes the evil play writer.

**This is a one shot, won't continue it, nope, nope.**

**Warning:** slight Ichigo/Renji, character death, and delicious gore

**Note (1):** This takes place sometime near the end of the Arrancar War.

**Note (2):** This is just a little fun fact. The title of this story is the title of the essay I had to write for this soliloquy. ( xD )

- - - - - - - - - -  
Dying Star  
- - - - - - - - - -

_I could be well moved, if I were as you,  
If I could pray to move, prayers would move me._

The couple stood surrounded by about what seemed like two to three dozen hollows and ajuukaru (1). A pale faced arrancar watched from just outside of the circle, avoiding the nearing blood bath. They were in the calm before the storm, the shinigami and vaizard stood back to back, completely trusting the other.

Renji and Ichigo made up a unique pair. Most shinigami didn't trust vaizards, and most vaizards wanted nothing to do with their shinigami cousins. They were both wearing the standard shinigami attire, Ichigo with his red chain across his chest.

_But I am constant as the Northern Star,  
Of whose true-fixed and resting quality,  
There is no fellow in the firmament._

The mass of over 30 hollowed creatures charged at the pair, some fairing better than others. Renji had released his shikai moments before the hollows and ajuukaru had surrounded him and his closest friend. He knew he had to stay alive for Ichigo, because he felt that the orange haired boy was more to him than a friend, more than a partner, more than a rival.

Renji lashed out at four hollows coming at him, his whip-like zanpakuto slicing through all four within an instant. He continued to slay the ajuukaru and hollows as they came his way, their silhouettes darkening as the sun was setting behind the snow white sand dunes of Hueco Mundo.

_The skies are painted with unnumbered sparks._

The last rays of light emitted from the falling sun. Renji and Ichigo had been fighting against the dozens of hollows and ajuukaru for hours. Ichigo still some how seemed full of energy. This was good, on account of it giving Renji some thirty seconds to catch his breath occasionally.

A dark reiatsu came from behind the red head. His eyes widened, expecting claws, teeth, a zanpakuto to find its way through his flesh. Confusion was added to expectation, when a large knife-like zanpakuto seemed to levitate just above his shoulder. The point of the blade facing the same way as his head. Renji was grateful for not turning his body to meet the challenge, or he would've been skewered, along with the ajuukaru that was quickly dissolving behind him.

"Pay attention, Renji!" Ichigo yelled at the red head. "Let your guard down, and I won't help ya anymore." Sarcasm laced itself intricately through his voice throughout the second sentence.

"Heh, then I'll just let these damned bastards get you when your back is turned."

Ichigo smirked, and a small chuckle came out. "Deal."

_They are all fire, and everyone doth shine,  
But there's but one in all doth hold his place._

The monstrousities were beginning to thin, Ulquoirra was able to see the two bloodied intruders. He took note that the one with orange hair was in a less better condition than the red head. Ulquoirra knew both would pose a threat to his Aizen-sama's plans for the grand finale of the war; he knew that Ichigo would pose as a bigger one, remembering the boy's history.

Ulquoirra turned to the ajuukaru off to his left, who had been told to stay out of the fight. Its purpose wasn't to fight, and the pale faced arrancar knew this. "I want you to charge the orange haired boy."

The ajuukaru turned, shocked at the voice coming from his usually quiet superior. "Hai."

_So in the world._

Renji was reduced to fighting with Zabimaru in a sealed state. They had been fighting for well over five hours, and he knew his reiatsu was dwindling. He was amazed that he was still able to hold his own.

Ichigo had pulled out his mask occasionally, quickly releasing back into his reiatsu store when it was no longer needed. Yeah, he had finally mastered his mask, but it tended to drain his reiatsu if left on for over an hour at a time.

'I'll have to kick his ass again when I'm done with this shit. He's still makin' it hard to use this freakin' mask.' Ichigo thought to himself.

He felt a nearing reiatsu, but he didn't list it as a threat just yet. Ichigo knew Renji was facing in the direction the reiatsu was coming from, and his trust in Renji allowed him to ignore it.

_'Tis furnished well with men,  
And men are flesh and blood, and apprehensive..._

Blood rained on the orange haired vaizard, a very familiar reiatsu dwindled behind him, the dark one that was coming at him wasn't there anymore. A stronger, more threatening reiatsu soon took the weak, dark one. Ichigo turned his body, shock blossoming in his features.

Renji was on the ground, breathing in short and pained gasps. Blood spilling from his now ripped open stomach, puddling around him, and spreading towards the vaizard and pale arrancar.

"Renji!"

"Calm down, Kurosaki-san. I will let him die on his own, you were my target; not this worthless piece of trash."

The shock that was in Ichigo's face was gone in a instant, rage took its place. He pulled his mask out again, jerking it to the side, so both of his now black and gold eyes were visible.

_Yet in the number, I do know but one,  
That unassailable holds on his rank..._

Blades clashed with each other, ceros were exchanged by both parties, hollow reiatsu filled the small valley of white sand, surrounded by just as white dunes. Ulquoirra and Ichigo sported a wide variety of injuries, ranging from small scratches, dislocated bones, and third degree burns from reiatsu attacks hitting their target.

When they finally gained some distance from the other, both were panting. Their high speed fight catching up to them. Ichigo leaned heavily on Zangetsu, a vast majority of his tan skin covered in hues of red. Most of it from his own body.

Ichigo fell to his knees, hands instinctively rushing to the ground to keep his face out of the red and white sand. His breaths were deep and fast, his body trying to stay alive, his vision flashing in and out. Zangetsu fell on its side, the hilt on the other side of the blade, away from Ichigo.

"Shit..." he mumbled to himself.

"You don't seem to be as strong as you were. You're weak. Aizen-sama doesn't need trash like you."

_Unshaked of motion._

Ulquoirra walked over to him, raising his blade, face impassive. He stared down at the dying vaizard at his feet. A small flicker of disgust flew through his eyes, the boy was hacking up more than just blood now.

Raw meat, something Ichigo hadn't in weeks, was mixing itself with the large amounts of blood, undigested food, and stomach juices. Through closer inspection, Ulquoirra noted with some shock, that there was a small amount of blood coming from the raw flesh before it flattened out. The orange haired boy was coughing up his own organs.

Ichigo looked up at what he figured was death. His face still determined and unyielding. He wouldn't die on his knees, to some arrancar that had killed so many of his friends. His throat burnt like hell's fires were having a bonfire, his lungs, heart, and stomach felt the same way.

Ichigo tried to push himself up, stopping when a sharp edge cut into the base of his skull. A glance to the right showed him a blurred zanpakuto that he assumed was Ulquoirra's, just above his head.

Ulquoirra lifted his blade, and walked away. Ichigo's eyes widened, his brown irises surrounded in red. He couldn't see the pale arrancar leave, but he felt it.

"Why...?"

"You are going to die on your own. You don't need my help."

With that, Ulquoirra vanished, leaving the bloodied valley of sand. Ichigo stared at the spot where Ulquoirra was, before focusing on finding Renji in the mess. Relief flooded his senses when an almost microscopic pulse hit him.

"Ren... ji..."

He crawled to the red head, stopping every few "steps," to cough up more of his insides.

"Dammit... move!" Ichigo whispered to himself.

"I... Ich... Ichi... go."

"I'm here. You'll be fine... I'm gonna... try to heal you."

"Idiot... you have... less... reiatsu... than me. There's no way... in hell... that you can... heal me."

"Shut up."

Ichigo put his unsteady hands on Renji's stomach, forcing all of his remaining reiatsu into Renji. Renji moaned in pain, as the mixed reiatsu entered his wounds, healing him at a rate he thought was impossible with Ichigo's reiatsu level. He figured it was because the reiatsu was mixed that it was doing this good of a job. The pain had evaporated momentarily, as he passed out.

"Renji!" Ichigo screamed, checking his pulse. He sighed in relief, there was still a heartbeat, still a chance.

The orange haired vaizard smiled, and leaned over the now saved shinigami. Leaning his lips against Renji's, Ichigo kissed his red haired companion, Renji responding subconsciously.

Ichigo turned away quickly, as a final onslaught of coughing over took him. He knew what he had just barfed up, he felt it in his chest. A fair chuck of heart, and lung had found its way out.

"Fu... ck..."

He collapsed, falling on Renji, and sliding off, onto the sand. The darkness overtaking every part of his being.

The sudden weight jolted Renji out of his sleep, and he looked down at the orange haired boy cuddled up against his now healed ribs. Renji's eyes narrowed when he felt something wrong, Ichigo wasn't breathing, wasn't emitting a reiatsu pulse.

"Ichigo?"

Nothing.

"Ichigo?" His voice was shaking and scared.

The last thing Renji saw was Ichigo's dissolving form. He grabbed at the dead boy, tears welling up in his eyes. Renji had taken Ichigo's red beads that used to hold Zangetsu, before Ichigo vanished completely. He was grateful those didn't dissolve along with their owner. He clutched it to his chest, letting the tears fall.

"Ichigo, you idiot. How could you die before I told you that I love you?"

_And that I am he._

- - - - - - - - - -

Okay, that was an interesting thing coming from my mind. Well, poor Renji, all he has left of Ichigo is his beads. (And before any of ya go and say Renji steals, the beads fell off when he was grabbing for Ichigo).

(1) ajuukaru: Much smarter and stronger than a gillian, like a vice-captain compared to a seated officer. Not many of them exist or so it is thought.

For record, this was typed quickly. Not much editing was put into this, but it looks decent to me. Deal.

**Review please!**


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